Ren of the Sea
by Joushou-Sensei
Summary: She wanted to escape what was expected of her, he always made his own way. Ren is a youthful headstrong sheltered noble who needs to grow up a bit Motochika might just be who she needs to help her get her priorities right. A coming of age romance with a bit of adventure thrown in. Motochika X OC
1. Potato God

Ren of the Sea

Chapter 1 Potato God

* * *

The air in the room was wrought with static. The elder brother calmly sipped from a steaming cup, while the younger sister glared at him (quiet unattractively) in attempts to cause him to burst into flames. In a corner of the lavish room a green set of armor stood proudly gleaming in the morning light, and next to it an odd green hat that curved in a very whimsical arch. The owner of this armor Mori Motonari was dressed casually today, in only a light green silk yukata with a white silk sash keeping it closed. His sister on the other hand had gotten dressed to go out and about, in a very beautiful lavender kimono that had red leaves embroidered on it as if they were falling, her pale green obi was hemmed with very expensive gold thread and had small white sakura flowers printed on it, rimmed also in gold. The girl herself had her brown hair, the same shade as her brother's, in an elaborate up do. It sported a few kanzashi that she favored and accented the green of her kimono. Her face was unpainted, but her lips had been tinted a slight pink as was appropriate for a young noble woman and her big deep chocolate eyes were rimmed in black kohl and a lavender power. She was a lovely girl, almost a woman at seventeen. Motonari would have married her off sooner but her temper scared off suitors of all types. It worked out for him though, instead of fighting for Kyushu he would marry her off to the lord and have her kill him.

"I will not! I refuse and you cannot make me!" She spat at him. Motonari lifted a noble eyebrow at him in admonishment.

"You will do as you are told Ren." He said using her given name. He sat his cup down and stared at her as if he were about to scold a child.

"It is a political marriage, once you take over he will be dead and you can go about your normal life again." He said as if this was a common occurrence. Ren-hime shot to her feet in a most undignified way and stomped over to her brother with steam pouring from her ears and her face steadily growing red. Once in arms reach she kicked the tray his tea sat on to the side, he watched in mild amusement at her tantrum. Ren's skinny hand shot out and grasped Motonari's yukata, and for good measure she gave him a sound shake.

"I would rather die! You can take your plan and shove it _Aniue_!" Ren could feel the heat rising off her face, and her stomach felt as though she would lose the breakfast she had just eaten. She should have known that something was afoot when Motonari summoned her to have breakfast with him. They never ate together unless it was with guests, because of an anniversary or if he had to tell her something she would not like. She had been so distracted about going to see the new ships he was building that she hadn't even noticed. Motonari removed her hand with little force and straightened his yukata before standing up. He stood about three inches taller than her.

"So you will let countless men die in a senseless battle just because you won't marry the lord of Kyushu? How selfish you are _imoto_." Ren felt tears sting her eyes, but should would not me manipulated by him; she had seen him do it to many times to his own men.

"All your battles are meaningless! Do you not care for my happiness? I'm your sister aren't I?" she sounded desperate now, she knew it, and she hated it. He was the strong one, she was just the child he took care of. Motonari's face turned stern all of a sudden and she felt a seed of fear grow in her stomach.

"You may be my sister, but like my soldiers you too must be given a purpose. You can't run around like a child all your life, grow up and except the responsibility you have been born into!" Motonari rarely got so mad at her that he would raise his voice but now his tone carried through their house. He even raised his hand as if to strike her and Ren closed her eyes and braced herself instinctively, but the blow never came. Motonari lowered his hand to his side and shook his head, and by now Ren had opened her eyes to stare at him. He looked at he one more time before sighing in frustration and leaving the room.

He had only ever looked at her that way once, when their mother had died. It was almost a warm look, but mostly it looked to her like he didn't know what to do with her.

Ren hated crying. It was trying, and pointless but she had cried after their fight. Her plans to see the new ships were never carried out and she locked herself in her room for the rest of the day. She did allow the maids entrance and once dinner rolled around a maid around her age came to give her dinner.

"Come in." She said as the maid, Mina, had knocked politely.

"Excuse me Hime-sama." The girl said kindly. She had a tray of beautifully arranged foods and steaming tea. Ren came away from her window that faced the ocean and sat down, she had changed into simple night clothes and let her hair down, it brushed the floor as she sat, bits shorter than the rest framed her face in lazy curls and the straight edge of her bangs brushed her eyelashes. This caused her to constantly blow them out of her eyes.

"Here you are." Mina said setting the meal up. Ren's melancholy drifted away for a moment as she noticed all her favorite side dishes. The servants of the Mori house adored her, especially the cook. She looked up at Mina and smiled. Mina smiled back and sat near the door to excuse herself.

"Oh, please stay Mina-chan." Ren said quickly before the older girl left. Mina nodded and moved closer to Ren.

"Mina-chan, I have to leave." Ren said halfway through the meal, her chopsticks hung from her mouth in a show of horrible table manners as she spoke around them. Mina's dark eyes widened at the statement.

"Hime-sama! You cannot leave, where would you go?" Mina said sagely. She knew though that Ren was hot headed enough to try.

"Somewhere that my brother would hate, I want to make him as angry as I am!" Ren said hotly, the chopsticks falling to the floor.

"And you will help me!" She said looking to Mina in determination, Mina looked ready to cry. Ren stood and began to pace, it was a spur of the moment thought but she knew she wanted to do it.

"Help me think of a place that would anger my brother." She said as she paced. Mina shook her head.

"Ren-hime, I…this is not a good idea." She said clasping her folded hands tighter. Ren turned and looked at her begging almost.

"Please, you will help me, won't you? Mina-chan?" Her doe eyes went misty and she plopped down in front of Mina and took her hands into her own. It took only two seconds of the puppy eyes for Mina to give in and with a defeated nod she said 'Hai.' Ren was just as manipulative as Motonari.

An hour later it was all planed out. Mina had gathered supplies enough to last a week, and one set of clothing that would help Ren to blend in with the peasants, and a kodachi in a deep green lacquered sheath. Ren had gathered money and sat it snugly in her sleeve. She had donned dark pants that synched at her knees and a brown gi like shirt that wrapped tightly around her torso, Mina had given her a green scarf, and one of the men had given her a bamboo hat.

Ren would hop a boat to the east and plead her case to Uesugi Kenshin, whom she had met awhile back. What she remembered of him she liked, he was a kind hearted man, he would help her.

"I have one last favor Mina-chan!" Ren said, all smiles. She was excited, she wondered what adventure awaited her outside the walls of Mori. Mina smiled defeated.

"Yes Ren-hime?" Ren handed Mina the kodachi and gathered her hair at the nape of her neck.

"Cut my hair to look like a boys, please." She said. Mina stared at the bunched hair and shook her head.

"I couldn't possibly!" She sighed. Ren looked over her shoulder and smiled warmly at her friend.

"I only trust your hands with this Mina, please cut my hair." Mina sighed, once again defeated by a smile.

"Hai."

Once the hair cut was finished Ren felt much lighter, and as she looked in her mirror she smiled. It was short enough to look like a boys, her bangs couldn't be fixed though. So it was no longer than her chin and curled here and there giving it a wild sort of look, nothing like Motonari's blade straight hair. Mina blushed as she stared at Ren.

"It's so cute Ren-hime." She said handing back that short sword. Ren Grinned widely at her, her teeth nearly gleaming in the moonlight. She shouldered her pack and gave a huff, it sure was heavy.

"Well Mina-chan I'm off, wish me luck!"

Enough servants were in on the plan that it wasn't that hard to get out. Mina saw Ren out the servants quarters and waved the girl off.

"Come back soon." She whispered as Ren disappeared around a corner. She knew eventually Lord Motonari would find her and drag her back. She smiled a bit sadly.

"Ah, youth." She said.

Ren felt like a ninja, well sort of. She had to hide twice now from a few patrolling guards. It was late enough for people to be asleep, and a kid wandering around was suspicious. At least she thought it could be. The bay was within sight, and with it freedom. She scurried down to it and once there asked about an outgoing ship.

"Well we got one leaving before dawn, but it's going to Shikoku, from there you could probably catch one to the east as far as Totomi, and then walk the rest of the way to Echigo." The old man was eyeing her suspiciously.

"Why's a kid like you wanting to go all the way to Echigo in the first place?" He asked frowning at her. Ren gave a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her head.

"I just wanted to see it, that's all." He sneered at her lame excuse.

"What did you say your name was boy?" Ren blanched, she had forgotten to think up a new name.

"Shin." She blurted out, before mentally slapping herself. The old man shook his head.

"Whatever, you have to go talk to captain Watara." With that she thanked him and hightailed it to the only boat still resting in port besides the great warships that her brother owned, she stuck her tongue out at them as she passed them.

Captain Watara was a good old guy; he let her catch a ride with him as long as she helped the cook that day. She wasn't much help but in the few hours she worked with the grouchy cook she became an expert as peeling potatoes.

"For a boy you have smooth hands Shin-kun." The cook said taking the last of the potatoes from her.

"Oh, uh…thanks?" she asked. He snorted and motioned for her to get lost. As they neared Shikoku Ren hoped that the infamous pirate her brother despised wasn't in port. Motonari had described him to her one night as the most uncouth brigand, who was absolutely evil.

_"That is why I must destroy him." Motonari had declared in a moment of uncharacteristic passion._

_"Then why haven't you beaten him yet?" Ren had asked, honestly curious as to why Motonari hadn't done so yet. He had glared at her and told her to go to her room. _Ren snickered to herself just as the old captain joined her on the deck.

"What's so funny young man?" He asked kindly. Ren smiled at him.

"Just thinking about my stupid brother." Watara smiled too.

"We all have one, I suppose."

After a quick goodbye to those she had met on the boat, Ren went to inquire about heading to the east.

"I don't know of any going that far any time soon." A boy said. It turned out that he worked for the port master but really did all the work since his boss was a lazy drunk. She sighed and slumped a bit, she couldn't stay in Shikoku long, Motonari would look here first.

"Sorry I couldn't be of more help." The boy said sincerely. Ren smiled up at him and shook her head.

"No, it's okay thank you for your help." She said and the boy blushed a bit and nodded his head sheepishly. Ren looked at him oddly but went on her way to find somewhere to stay.

"I hear were going to Oshu! Aniki says he wants to visit the dragon." She heard. Ren's feet stilled as she tried to remember where Oshu was, she flipped through lessons in her mind before a mental map highlighted the providence. She did an abrupt about face and searched for the men. They stood next to a ship guarding it. They wore a ragtag sort of armor and each laughed at a joke the other had made. They caught sight of her staring at them and glared at her. She gave a weak smile and wave before disappearing around the corner.

'That's my ride!' she thought as she scouted the area. There had to be another way onto the boat. Ren noticed the large rope that tied the boat to the docks, if she could shimmy up that rope she may just be able to stow away in the cargo bay.

"What the hell, it's worth a shot." She said rolling up her sleeves and straddling the rope before pulling herself up.

Once near the top she barely peaked her head above the railing, to make sure no one would see her. Luckily the two guards on the dock seemed to be the only two shipmates left. She hopped the rail and landed with a slight thump which she hoped they had not heard. She made her way into the lower decks until she found a relatively bare closet like room. It was small and eventually she would need to use the restroom or get some air, so she knew she would get caught at some point.

"I just have to last long enough to be more than half way there! They won't turn around then." And hopefully they won't throw me over. She thought darkly. She settled in the small room and the day's hard work caught up to her and before she knew it she was fast asleep.

Men, they made so much noise. Ren yawned and made to stretch but found that her cramped mussels wouldn't obey her. Then she remembered where she was. She bumped her head on the door and cursed her stupidity. She wondered how long she had been out, or if they had left port yet.

"Did you hear something from the closet?" She heard a man ask.

"Don't be stupid Takamori, we're on a ship it creaks and makes noises." Another said in a deadpan voice.

"Oh shut it, I could have sworn I heard…" Ren held her breath praying that they would just forget about it. It wasn't to be though. The door opened slowly as if to cause her even more distress. The light from the lamps in the room stung her eyes, and now the whole room was silent. As her eyes adjusted she looked up from her spot on the floor into the shocked face of a rough looking man with dark hair that was pulled back into a short pony tail. She looked from him to the four men around a makeshift table that held a lamp and something that looked like dice.

She grinned like the cat who ate the canary.

"Oh, hey there." They stared at her as if she had grown another head.

"What are you playing?" She asked with a nervous laugh. Good going Ren, now you really will be thrown overboard. The men seemed to snap themselves back to reality and the big one who'd opened the closet grabbed her by the back of her shirt and lifted her into the air and out of the closet as if she weight nothing. Now they all looked utterly pissed. Each of them would tower over her if she had been able to put her feet of the ground, but at the moment she hung a few inches above it in the man's grasp.

"Seems we have a stowaway." One said dangerously cracking his knuckles. Ren waved her hands weakly in surrender.

"Let's not do anything rash gentlemen!"

As they passed other shipmates, she still hung in the air, like a puppy whose mother had ahold of him. She had crossed her arms though and frowned at each man who looked at her. As one man knocked on a rather ornate looking door more men crowed to see what was going on. The door opened and she was tossed like a rag doll to the floor.

"Hey!" she said twisting to glare at the man who threw her.

"Well, well, what's this?" Ren felt a chill steal over her entire body; the voice was altogether dangerous sounding, and sort of antagonizing. She turned towards the inside of the room and sitting next to a table with another man was the most intimidating man she'd ever seen.

He would be taller than Motonari if he was standing, and he wasn't thin like her brother but rather thick and hard looking. He dressed in a lot of purple, had silver wild hair, an eye patch and the eye she could see was watching her like a wolf watches a rabbit. She knew right away who he was, and cursed her luck. He stood up and she felt her jaw go slack and she was sure that it was hanging to the floor. He chuckled and knelt in front of her. Her blood went icy.

"Do you know what we do to stowaways?" He asked in a deeply disturbing voice as if he was having fun. She grinned halfheartedly in a last ditch attempt to save her skin.

"Have them peel potatoes all day?" She asked hopefully. He smirked and chuckled.

"We toss em'." He said snapping his fingers. In an instant she found herself snatched up again back the scruff of her shirt, only this time she struggled. Men in the background hollered and hooted something about a plank. She didn't pay attention to them.

"Wait! Wait dammit! I'll do whatever you want! WAIT I SAID!" She shouted and twisted trying to escape the man's iron grip. She was held out over the naked ocean, dangling, this must have been how the worm felt before it became fish food. She stilled instantly and stared at the murky water and now her hands sought something, anything to grasp onto. Chosokabe Motochika leaned out on the railing and watched the myriad of emotions that flashed on the young boys face.

He had to admit the boy had guts stowing on his ship, and that comment in his courters was funny, but something about the boy bothered him.

" You've got balls kid, and I like you, if you peel all my cooks potatoes to his satisfaction, I'll let you stay till we make port." He said smirking at the boy.

Ren turned to look at Motochika and nodded her head vigorously.

"I'll peel your potatoes so damn well you'll be calling me potato god! Just please don't throw me over!" The men laughed at this and Motochika snickered.

"We make port in Oshu." He said trying to figure out what it was that bothered him about the kid.

"I know!" Ren shouted. Motochika motioned to the man holding her and she was pulled back to safety. The men went silent as Motochika held up a hand to silence them.

"Everyone here works to stay; you will do the same kid." He held out a hand to her, as she had sunk to the floor. She looked at the hand and then to him and took his offered hand.

The kid's hand was tiny and in an instant Motochika noticed the lack of calluses and how smooth the skin was. Another thing that was odd.

"What's your name kid?" Ren looked directly at Motochika.

"Shin." It was then, as Shin looked at him that Motochika realized what bothered him. The boy looked an awful lot like Mori Motonari.

'Unlucky guy, to look like that tightwad.' He thought.

* * *

I know this senerio has been used about a billion times, but I thought it would make an awesome Chika-sama story.

1 Aniue -Elder brother, very formal slightly archaic Ren is using it in a very sarcastic way.

2 Imoto- little sister.

So if this were an actually anime (which is the way I see it in my head) the opening them would be **TOP & GD - High High **(google it!)

The ending theme would be **Bad Boy - Big Bang** (LISTEN I SAY)


	2. One of the Boys

Chapter 2

One of the Boys

Motochika wasn't the sort of captain who sat idly by while his men slaved away on his boat. No, in fact he relished being on deck with them, involved in the hard work that was running a pirate ship. However today he found that he was constantly being distracted, he was unusually inattentive and thanks to it he got smacked in the face by a rather large wet rope, right on his forehead, that he had been helping to heave. He had been distracted for one second by a skinny kid running back and forth in a frantic manner. As Motochika sat down on a vacant barrel and tenderly rubbed the spot that had been abused he tried to remember the kid's name. His good eye followed him as he was given orders and shouted a 'Yes, sir!' and ran off again.

_'What was it again? Shouta? No. Satsuma? Nope. Shinishi? Close…Shin!'_ He chuckled to himself as he remembered the kids first day, yesterday. Shin had spent three hours simply peeling potatoes, and once he had finished he had personally sought out Motochika and dragged the pirate captain to the kitchen where he presented a tall pile of perfectly peeled potatoes.

Potatoes had been for lunch, dinner, and breakfast, but the kid had done what he said he would and Motochika would give credit where it was due. Even now the boy was adapting well. As the larger men tried to intimidate him, or teased him, Shin's left eye gave a twitch and he frowned before socking those few offenders in the jaw.

"Anyone else got jokes!?" He had shouted, the kid was funny and full of energy so naturally the men liked him. When Shin got angry though, Motochika noticed just how much he looked like the Mori bastard. Even the eye twitch was nearly the same. Motochika shook his head and stood up to rejoin the men. As it was getting hotter because of midday Motochika followed the example of his men and striped down to just his breeches.

Ren was carrying a bucket full of water carefully trying not to spill a drop when she heard someone call her new name again. She turned around to let another man drink from the bucket, but found herself face to chest with the captain. She nearly plowed into him. Looking up to address him she was suddenly very grateful for the heat, her brother's worship of the flaming ball of fire had its merits now and again, because the redness of her cheeks could be assumed to be the heats fault and not the godlike chest in her line of vision.

"Shin, go ahead and take your shirt off, it's hot enough out here!" Motochika said kindly as he took the wooden cup she silently had offered him. Her face must have given her away because he laughed.

"Don't look so horrified! No one will make fun of your small stature, not if they saw that right hook you threw earlier." He dipped the cup in the water and then drank deeply from it.

"I'd rather not, I…uh…I burn easily! Yeah, I burn." She tried, she really did try to look away from the definition brandishing itself in front of her, but damn it was hard. For a pirate Chosokabe had rather pale skin, and his muscles were works of art that his spear had cultivated along with his years of fighting, and the smaller scars that she had not noticed earlier now screamed for her attention.

"Did you hear me?" He said. Ren snapped to attention and shook her head to rid it of the fuzz that had built up.

"Hey, are you feeling okay? Sun's not getting to ya is it?" His hand moved forwards intent on her shoulder and in a moment of instinct Ren jumped away from it. He looked as surprised as she felt, and for an awkward moment they stared at one another.

"O…kay. You don't have to I guess." He said tossing the cup into the bucket perfectly. Ren dropped her head thought 'BAKA' and gave a quick bow.

"Hai." Thankfully another of her new found comrades hollered for a drink and she dashed off.

"That kids a weird one." Motochika turned to address the man who had come to stand next to him. In fact it was the man who had held Ren over the side of the ship.

"Takahashi, you think so to?" Motochika asked as the two both went back to work.

"I'm just saying boss, he's too small, and have you seen the kid's hands? Like a woman's. Not only that but the way he speaks…almost like…well…" Motochika nodded.

"Like Lord Mori is what you want to say." He finished for the other man.

That night Ren sighed for the seventh time. _'It's only for another day, and this is just a bump in the road, once we make port everything will be back on track.'_ She thought. She turned over; she had been given a spot on the floor, a pillow and a useless potato sack blanket. During the day it had been almost unbearably hot, but at night it got rather cold so the twinge of red of her cheeks could not be blamed on the sun. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind but as soon as she did a certain well defined chest popped into her head and her eyes snapped open. She snapped up as well and smacked her head on the low lying shelf that sat above her.

"OW!" she shouted as she fell back down to the hard wooden floor covering and nursing her head.

"Shut it kid!" someone shouted.

"Yeah, yeah!" she shouted back. She sighed again and stared at the bottom of the shelf with a frown. At first she thought that being around men all day every day for three days was going to be uncomfortable and smelly. While the smelly stuff was true, the trip so far had been fun. The hard work was, well hard but even it was fun. In her brother's court she could never have gotten away with the things she yelled at the men on the ship, it was freeing. Everyone here treated her normaly. She wasn't my lady, or Hime, and while she wasn't Ren either she was happy with just Shin.

_'But it's only for one more day.'_ She thought. She didn't like the idea that she had only just gotten to meet the men, and the infamous captain. The thought of the captain made her cheeks flame again. He was nothing like what her brother had described, sure he was physically intimidating, but he was gentle almost, and he clearly loved his men, and they loved him, the complete opposite of her brother. He laughed and played around and was easy going, and she really wanted to laugh and joke with him.

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

Motonari paced. They had spent all day searching for Ren in all directions, and now he was beginning to think that his sister had the nerve to leave his province and his protection. His oil lamps flickered as he passed them, his feet making shuffling sounds on his tatami floor. His meal sat untouched and his once piping hot tea wasn't even warm anymore. He trampled the mats to his tea cup, picked it up and threw it against the wall.

"Dammit!" The servants that sat outside his room awaiting a command jumped at the sound.

Motonari clenched his hands as they were shaking in anger and he closed his eyes trying to regain his composure. There was an intent knock.

"Enter!" He spat. The screen door slid open and one of the maids knelt but didn't enter the room. She looked up at him and seemed to hesitate.

"Say whatever it is you must, woman." Motonari said his voice calm. She nodded and took a deep breath.

"My Lord, your honorable sister…she mentioned taking a ship to the east." Motonari felt his gaze zero in on the woman's bowing figure and then he felt heat rising up the back of his neck again.

"Is that so? You only just decided to mention this? Tell me do you love my sister?" He walked towards her till he had to look down to see her.

"I…I do, my Lord." She stumbled with her words. He knelt on one knee put a finger under the woman's chin and lifted it up till she had to look in his eyes.

"Do you realize what my enemies would do if they found her? What I would have to do if they did? And yet you say you love her?" Mina shook her head.

"I thought she would have come back by now my Lord." She said fighting off tears. He let her chin fall and stood up again.

"I will find her and when I do, Nobunaga will look like a merciful man!"

Ren sneezed for the third time in a row while she slept.

* * *

She had a crush that was it. That was all it was, Motochika was a good looking, strong, and capable leader what woman wouldn't be attracted to that? Ren held onto a rope absentmindedly as the other men worked to pull in the sails, land could already be seen and the tide would take them in. Once again her eyes roamed back over to the captain who was guiding the ship in himself.

'Kind, clever, funny and my hands are burning…wait what?' Ren was pulled from her thoughts as the rope she had been holding now was yanked through her hands at an alarming speed.

"Shin!" one man yelled, and on instinct she grabbed the rope in an attempt to halt the ropes motion. This turned out to be a painful idea as the rope did not stop and she was pulled forwards.

'This is what you get for being so…so…distracted and girly!' she thought as the rope pulled her across the deck and up the mast.

"Let go!" another person yelled, but it was too late if Ren let go now she would tumble to the deck some twenty feet below.

"Are you crazy!?" she shouted back desperately clinging to the rope even though her hands had been rubbed raw.

The men below watched on in half amusement half concern as young Shin dangled in the wind.

"Whose bright idea was it to give the smallest man on the ship the damn rope?" The men all turned to see Motochika glaring up towards Shin.

"Well we can't lower him…Shin! You'll have to drop into the water; we don't have time to lower the sails again!" Motochika hollered. Ren looked down at him as if he were crazy.

"It's too far!" she yelled back.

"Don't be such a girl! I've fallen farther than that, onto the ground!" At this Ren's cheeks colored in embarrassment.

_'Well! Excuse me!'_ She thought.

"Move him over the water." Motochika ordered good naturedly. He shook his head and chuckled as men scrambled to grab hooks. Shin looked absolutely terrified, so it was sort of funny. Once the men had the boy over the water they gave the go for Shin to drop, but the boy was frozen even though everyone could see the strain of holding the rope.

"I…I really don't think I can do this." Shin said. Motochika had been watching from the side rail and shook his head frustrated.

Ren looked at him and tried to convey how frightened she really was to him, but he only cocked an eyebrow and sat on the railing.

"What's the big deal, a quick drop and a splash, look they even have the rope ladder waiting for you, quit belly aching and drop." He said swinging his legs over the side. Ren looked down and immediately had a sense of vertigo. There was a reason she did not go out with her brother on his ships, a reason she had only ever admired them from the docks.

"I can't…." She said quietly the rest of what she was going to say lost on the wind. Motochika lifted a hand to his ear and shook his head as if to convey he hadn't heard her. Ren decided it would be better to swallow her pride for once.

"Captain Chosokabe I cannot swim!" she shouted. The deck went silent and some men even snickered. She had closed her eyes so that maybe she wouldn't have to see the dumbfounded accusing look that she thought he would be wearing.

As Motochika heard this he suddenly felt rather worried for the boy and his one good eye widened.

Just as one man went to capture her rope with a hook Ren's shaking fatigued arms couldn't take it anymore. A numbing sensation ran from her fingers to her shoulders and with a sudden gasp she found herself falling. It really was a quick drop.

Motochika didn't hesitate, it wasn't in his nature. He dove in after Shin the moment the boy let go and closed his eyes for the impact of the water.

Ren struggled to figure out which way to go, her arms still refused to be used and so all she accomplished was to flail. She opened her eyes to look for the surface but quickly shut them again when the sea water stung them. Slowly but surely her lungs began to burn for air.

'Well, this is a stupid way to go. Brother will undoubtedly laugh at me in the afterlife, and I barely got to know the men or Motochika…' Just as her last bubble of air fled from her mouth she felt a strong arm incase her ribs and pull.

Motochika breached the surface and gasped for air, what worried him though was that Shin did not gasp, he didn't even move.

"Rope!" He yelled and in an instant the men had thrown him a rope and were hauling him up. Once again on deck Motochika laid the boy flat and leaned into his chest to listen for a heartbeat. He felt a bit of tension release the firm grip it had on his heart when he found one. Then he began to work on the boys breathing. He pressed down on his chest and then breathed into his mouth. It took three repetitions of this before Shin spat out the water he had swallowed. The men all stood back to give the captain and the boy some room.

Ren coughed and coughed and when she opened her eyes the light nearly blinded her.

"Is this paradise?" she croaked and immediately a chorus of laughter followed. As her eyes adjusted Ren saw a dripping wet Motochika next to her on his knees smiling and laughing at her while the men around them shook with amusement.

"Well I call it paradise, but if you think you're dead, well sorry but you still owe me a few potatoes." Motochika said heartily.

"Can't swim?" Takahashi shouted, tears pooling in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"Didn't you think you should tell someone?" He finished holding his sides. Ren frowned at him.

"I did tell you!" She shouted at him.

"Aye, right as you fell!" At this the laughter was renewed for a good five more minutes.

"Laugh it up." She said darkly laying her head back down to the wooden deck.

"Thank you Captain." She said, only loud enough for Motochika to head.

"When you get some dry clothes on I need to see you in my courters." He said standing up and offering her his hand. Ren suddenly felt her stomach drop and she wondered what he wanted. Takahashi took her to the men's courters and found some smaller clothes for her.

Motochika had one of the men guide the ship into Oshu port and he had retreated to his own courters to change and to contemplate about Shin. The boat had made port and the men had gone off to run amuck in the port town. Motochika was beginning to think that Shin had run off with them when a knock brought him out of his thoughts.

"Come in." He said taking a seat next to his card table. Shin hesitantly opened the door and stuck his head in.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked. Motochika waved the boy over to the chair opposite of himself.

Ren had resolved not to go in, but her plans went out the window the moment she knocked on the door and now she found herself sitting in front of the captain and trying her hardest not to look at him.

"Where did you say you were from Shin?" Motochika asked suddenly as he grabbed a glass decanter from underneath the table. He sat a glass in front of her and himself and poured a generous amount into both glasses, a brown liquid.

"I didn't." She said eyeing the glass.

"Well, how about you tell me now?" Motochika's tone brooked no argument. Ren looked up at him finally and found that he was studying her with a slight frown.

"Well, I'm from…uh…well." She didn't really want to lie to him, but she definitely didn't want him to know who she was.

"Around Shikoku." Is what she decided on, Motochika smirked at her and shook his head. He leaned forwards a bit stared at her.

"Do you think that a man can feel up a woman and not know she's a woman?" He asked lowly before pushing her drink towards her a little more. For a moment Ren sat dumbfounded.

"Probably not." She finally muttered, with her cheeks going red yet again. Motochika nodded.

"Deffinately not." A silence settled between them and Ren knocked back the drink in one go and paid for it when her eyes began to water.

"Let's start over, how about a name? I gave you mine so you give me yours. Your real one." Ren fidgeted in her seat, would he have heard of her? How would he and the men treat her?

"It's Ren." She said with a sigh. Motochika's face remained passively straight. He made no indication that he knew her or not.

"Why did you stow away on my ship?" Ren struggled with herself now, tell him, or don't.

"I'm running away." She said honestly. She looked into his good eye and let the words her mind found flow freely from her mouth.

"I was going to be married off to some Lord I've never met, and so I ran away. I had planned to go to Echigo because I know the Lord there and I thought he could help me." She felt a little bad for leaving out the most important part but she didn't like the idea of Motochika hating her.

Motochika was quiet for a moment and leaned back in his chair.

"Well that explains your speech, and your hands, which speaking of are they alright? Rope burn is pretty painful." He held out one large hand to her and timidly she laid one of hers palm up in it. It was red and blistered; scabs had already formed over the bits of skin that had torn.

His hand was surprisingly warm and as he inspected the damage her insides began to warm as well. Finally he looked back at her.

"So I assume you are a noble woman, if you know Kenshin. You must know that I can't allow you to gallivanting around and causing trouble for unsuspecting peoples such as myself." He gave her a sardonic smile and released her hand. Ren stared at him confused.

"I don't understand." She said her hands falling into her lap out of habit. Motochika stood up and grinned at her.

"Of course I will have to see you safely to Echigo, but first we have to meet with the Dragon of Oshu he owes me some money. We'll get you some proper clothes there." Ren was just about tired of men deciding her paths for her and shot out of her chair.

"That will not be necessary! I am perfectly capable of handling myself. How hard can it be to find Echigo?" Motochika moved in like a shark, and Ren had to crane her neck to look up at him.

"Listen lady, it aint called the warring states for nothing. Besides what if you fall into a puddle? Who will step in and save you from drowning?" Ren felt her left eye twitch and she frowned. Motochika backed off a slight bit and instead of his maniacal grin he only smiled at her in the friendliest way.

"Please Hime, your part of my crew now and I look out for my own. The men will feel the same; hell I wager they'll want a break from the sea." Ren felt the fight in her chest disappear, so she frowned and sat back down.

"Just don't call me Hime. Ever." She said holding her glass out to him for more of his drink.

Later that night Motochika seriously contemplated his sanity, even he didn't know the reason he wanted to help her. Ren had tossed and turned in her bed, now that she had one, and only just realized that Motochika had in fact felt her up and in fact he had been the first man to kiss her.

"If you call it that!" she muttered red faced.

* * *

So I always wondered how female characters stayed under the radar for so long, and as you have read Ren did not stay 'hidden' very well. I thought that this was a bit more realistic. So she sort of has lied to Chika, her brother is on a rampage, Masamune is coming up and how will the men react to her little confession? Thanks to everyone who reviewed!


	3. Dinner with a Dragon

Ren shifted this way and that in her seat. Motochika had acquired some horses, for himself, some men, supplies, and of course the lady. While she was still in her own clothing and could still pass for a young boy to any passerby, all the men knew now. While they were all still very friendly with her, there was something different in the way they spoke to her and it irked Ren. She didn't want to be treated any differently. She looked to the left and met the eyes of one of the men, who instantly smiled and gave her a slight nod of his head. Ren felt her face slid into s frown, which obviously confused the man. Next she looked to Motochika who was in front of her horse.

"Captain!" she shouted to get his attention. Motochika, who had been speaking with Takahashi, turned in his seat to look at her in question.

"Can we break soon for lunch?" She asked with a frown. Motochika nodded, but his face was confused, probably wondering why the lady was frowning. So soon after they found a nice place to eat, Ren sat next to Takahashi on her left and Motochika on her right. Not once had she heard really fowl launage since Motochika had ratted her out. Not once had there been lewd displays by the men, and not ONCE had anyone joked with her they way they had when she thought she was a boy. Looking down at her food she frowned even more. While it wasn't extravagant, cook had gone out of his way to make it look pretty. Usually it looked like goop. Takahashi then turned her way and held a sake pitcher out in silent askance if she wanted some, where usually he would have just passed it to her. She felt her eye twitch and she felt her temper snap.

'That's the last straw!' she thought before abruptly stood up, flipping over her tray of food. She must have had a look of pure anger because many of the men went a little pale.

"That is the last FUCKING straw!" she said snatching the sake from Takahashi and throwing it at some poor unsuspecting soul.

"Stop with all this damn coddling!" she pointed to the men and then turned on Takahashi.

"You! Stop! Just stop!" then she turned to Motochika, who had been about to take a bite of rice before her outburst, but now it balanced on his chopstick half way to its destination, his face dumbfounded.

"And you! This is exactly why I didn't want you to tell anyone! Stop treating me like some damn princess!" she said shoving her finger closer and closer to his face. Her face had gone an angry shade of red and her breathing had become harsher. The men were all silent as they watched her.

"But, you _are_ a lady." One man said chancing her wrath. Ren turned his way, and the man gasped and went pale. Her face had gone quite evil. She jumped over her food and took a hold of his shirt before smacking his soundly and shaking him.

"Would a lady do that!?" she shouted, before hooking his arm behind his back and pulling mercilessly. Judo paid off now and again.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" The man yelled. Ren didn't feel any better and would have continued torturing him had a hand not lifted her from the ground as if she weighed nothing.

"That's enough of your temper tantrum." Motochika said admonishingly. She swiped at him even though she knew she would miss.

"This is your fault, if you hadn't said anything to them they wouldn't be treating me like this!" she said now trying to hide behind her bangs as she felt her eyes grow warm and wet.

Motochika held her wrist in a gentle grip, afraid he might hurt her, and watch in concern the small girl.

'Oh god, please don't cry!' he thought trying to think of what to do.

"Stop acting like a damn brat!" he shouted at her, and in an instant regretted it.

'Great…' he thought smacking himself with his other hand.

Ren looked up at him then and blinked in surprise, before a smile slowly spread across her face. Motochika almost wanted to smack her, why couldn't she act like a normal woman? The men are exceptionally nice to her and she hates it but he yells at her and she's happy?

"You're crazy." He muttered and let her go. Ren sighed and turned to the men.

"Look, I don't like being treated like a doll. Treat me like you would treat Shin, I mean you know I am Shin, so just think that way or something." She said giving the men a small bow.

"Sorry I went crazy on you all." The men muttered amongst themselves but obviously forgave her. Ren looked back to Motochika.

"Sorry, captain. I sort of lost it there, thanks." She said before sitting back down next to Takahashi.

After that Ren didn't have much to complain about. It took the men a bit of time to adjust but eventually they got back to teasing her about her small stature, and shouting vulgar words around her. Soon enough they were on their way to Oshu, which had Ren rather excited. She had heard about the One Eyed Dragon, and what she had heard from the men, he seemed rather similar to Motochika.

"So this Masamune guy, are you and he friends?" Ren asked Motochika as they rode next to each other. She still felt a bit ashamed for her outburst, and he had been rather quiet around her since then. She didn't like it. Although she also still felt a bit bashful around the captain she tried hard to repress it and found the first this to talk about that popped into her mind. Motochika looked at her and smirked.

"I guess you could say that, he's certainly entertaining!" He said. He seemed to be remembering something a gave a slight laugh.

"How did you meet him?" Ren asked.

"Well we ran into each other on the way to Hideyoshi's, of course we ending up fighting before we became friends." He laughed thinking about it. Ren smiled, happy that he wasn't so quiet anymore.

"He must be strong then, to still be alive." She commented as the passed a farm.

"Immensely." He said smiling her way. Ren had to look away, lest she begin to blush.

"When we get to his place, which shouldn't be too much longer, we'll ask for some better clothes for you. I'm sure he won't mind." He said sensing her discomfort. Ren again looked at him and frowned.

"But my clothes are fine." She said not understanding why he insisted on this. Motochika sighed and looked her way again, this time he frowned like her was trying to be patient with her. She hated that look, it was a look her brother gave her and instantly she felt her stomach tighter in anger.

"Ren, the men and I have agreed to treat you like we would a comrade." He said seriously, although Ren refused to look at him.

"Although we are pirates, we still treat women the way they should be. It's a hard thing you are asking of us, to not give you that respect." Ren looked at him intent on making a comment but Motochika held up a hand.

"But!"

"We were willing to compromise, because we like you and because you were so intent on it. However just because you want to be treated that way doesn't mean I will allow you to walk around in clothing that would demean you." He said smartly and giving her a pointed look.

"The men wear these types of clothes too!" she said heatedly. Motochika nodded.

"But they are men, only harlots wear clothes as revealing as yours." He said frankly. Ren felt her face heat up and her grip on the reins tightened enough that her scabbed hand began to bleed. Motochika saw this and moved his horse closer in order to pull on her hands. She didn't put up much of a fight.

"Don't take it the wrong way; we all know you're not like that, your clothing was necessary to board a ship, and to disguise yourself." He said looking over her hands. Ren snatched her hands back and looked straight forwards to avoid Motochika's gaze.

"How do you know what I'm like? You don't even know me." She said in such a cold voice, Motochika could swear he saw Motonari in her place. It took him aback, and made him think, what did he really know about the girl riding next to him? Everyone had readily accepted her without thinking about it. Because she was smaller, weaker looking then them they hadn't thought her a danger. Thinking about it now, he knew assassins smaller than her. He was about to ask her, her family name when a shout alerted them. Masamune's massive house was visible.

Ren looked at the surroundings and smiled a peaceful smile and closed her eyes, the wind smelled nothing like the ocean. The hills were rolling and everywhere she looked it was green and quiet. The house was nice too, all wood and stucco walls, it was like it too was a part of the nature of this province.

"It's so peaceful here." She said out loud but more to herself.

"Wait till you meet the lord; you might not think that anymore." Motochika said, having forgot his track of thought the moment her saw Masamune's right eye riding their way.

Ren caught sight of a very sturdy and dower looking man riding their way. Motochika moved his horse a bit more forwards to meet the man.

"Katakura!" He shouted sending the man a friendly wave. The man lifted a hand and waved back and slowed his horse to meet Motochika. He smiled then and it transformed the man's face. Although he had a scan that ran from his left cheek down, he was handsome when he smiled. The two exchanged pleasantries before heading towards the house.

Once there everyone dismounted including Ren who followed Motochika at a distance. She had been angry after their talk, but was slowly getting over it. She could sort of understand his reasoning, and that made her feel more like a spoiled princess than ever.

'He shouldn't worry about my virtue anyway!' her mind shouted in defiance.

'…but that's nice of him.' Her mind said then. The war in her mind kept on till they were escorted to a large room that over looked a nice courtyard.

"…Ren." Her name brought her out of her thoughts. Motochika had said her name.

"What?" She asked him and caught his amused smirk. She noted that Katakura was looking her way.

"I was introducing you to Katakura Kojuro." He said motioning towards the other man. Ren blushed then and gave the man a bow worthy of her brother's court.

"Very nice to meet you." She said in a practiced voice. Katakura raised an eyebrow and looked to Motochika.

"And you Ren-sama." He said returning her bow. Ren bit her lip, trying to keep a rude comment in her mouth.

"As for your request Motochika, I'm sure we could find something for her." He said before looking Ren's way again.

"I don't see how you tricked them, but then again they are all a bunch of pirates." Kojuro said jokingly. Ren blushed at his comment but said a quick thank you, at least she hoped it had been a compliment.

"Just a moment." Kojuro said before knocking on a door and then sliding it open and going through. She and Motochika stood awkwardly in the hall way. Finally Motochika sighed.

"He's right I don't know how I didn't see it." He said rather dejectedly.

"Maybe I'm losing my touch." He mused before laughing. Ren bit her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry, in your defense I was pretty dirty." She said hoping it made him feel a little bit better. Motochika laughed loudly then and gave her back a friendly smack.

"And you cursed like a sailor! And what woman has a right hook like that?" He smiled her way just before Kojuro opened the door and ushered them inside. Masamune wasn't inside, but rather in his courtyard practicing with a wooden sword. He was dressed rather simply too, in dark blue pants and a white top. The first thing she noticed about him was that just like Motochika, he had an eye patch over one eye.

'Holy crap, they really are similar!' she thought but then began to find differences. Were Motochika was tall and bulky Date Masamune was lean and a more normal height. He had a dark shade of hair and an intense eye that seemed to cut through you, were as Motochika's eye was bright and mischievous.

"Motochika, been a while." He said finishing a perfect sword stroke and turning their way.

"Who's the kid?" He then asked coming to greet Motochika. They embraced in a brotherly way before Motochika turned her way.

"This is Ren." He said as Masamune moved closer to her, just the way he moved was intimidating. She suspected it was on purpose.

"The stowaway then." He said as his eyes suddenly dropped to her chest.

"Motochika are you and your lot that dumb?" He asked looking back at the fair haired pirate with a grin. Motochika smirked but there was a twitch around his visible eye. Ren's face was a flame; the man had blatantly stared at her chest!

"For your information, I had them bound up!" She said indignantly, causing him to turn her way again with a impish look on his face.

"Even so my lady, you look nothing like a boy." He said seemingly relishing in her annoyance. Motochika blanched when he heard 'my lady' come from Masamune. In a movement so fast the men almost didn't see it Ren had Masamune by the cheeks and was stretching them much to his displeasure.

"Don't call me that dragon boy!" she shouted as the two seemed to wrestle for control because by now he had grabbed her cheeks and was copying her move.

"I take it…back! You…are…just like…a boy!" He said in a almost undistinguishable gasps of air.

"Well…excuse…me!" She snapped back. Motochika and Kojuro looked at each other unsure whether they should break the two apart or keep watching out of amusement. Finally they made the grown up choice and Kojuro grabbed Masamune, while Motochika grabbed Ren. The two were breathing heavily and glared at each other.

"Well now that you two have had your fun." Motochika said placing Ren back on the floor. Kojuro released Masamune. The two still stared at each other and it seemed that the static was crackling in the room.

"You need some clothes don't you?" Masamune said suddenly then. Ren, wondering if it was a trick, turned suspicious.

"Captain says so…" She said watching as the man smoothed his hair and then smiled her way.

"Well you're not boring, and since I like Motochika and women who aren't boring I suppose I could find you something. Although, I don't know what it will do for your boyish figure." He added the last part teasingly. Ren felt a genuine smile light her face.

"We'll see about that!"

Ren fidgeted in the silks that Masamune had the maids dress her in, honestly she thought he was just trying to make her feel stupid, which at the moment she did.

"Oh I will get him back!" She vowed quietly as one of the maids brought her to the hall were the men were all eating.

She had on a gold and white kimono that was more fitting for a party or for attending a wedding than for dinner. It was layered with reds and blues and a gold dragon wound its way around the fabric. The maids had put on some kohl and red lip dye on her, and finished with a red color on her eye lids. Her hair was the most difficult part but the maids managed to get some of it up with a clip, so that wispy bits of hair framed her face. She felt like a woman again, but rather than being comfortable like she normally would she found that she was worried, even though she didn't know why.

The maid escorting her gave a slight rap of the door, and the noise inside barely went down, but Masamune's voice could be heard to come in. The maid opened the door and suddenly the noise of the hall went silent.

Motochika sat next to Masamune when the door opened he spit out the sake he had just drunk. Across the hall was Ren obviously, but he could hardly tell. All of the dragon's men and his went silent as Ren made her way to them almost as if she was floating. She really did look like a princess.

Ren sat in the only vacated seat which was next to Kojuro, and for that she was a bit thankful. Because out of all the men, even Masamune and Motochika, he was the only one not outright staring at her like she was some sort of alien.

"Hey there Kojuro." She said smiling at him, he gave her a smile too.

"Good evening Ren." He said kindly.

"You look beautiful." He said going back to his food. Some of the men slowly went back to their food too, but some were still in shock.

"Honestly I just feel dumb in this, I imagine it's a joke so generously played by the one eyed dragon." She said that last part loud enough for Masamune to hear. She was rewarded when the man laughed.

"I'll admit to nothing!" He said pointing at her. She stuck out her tongue at him, and glanced at Motochika who had his eyes trained on his food. Like he felt her gaze he looked up and at her, and for a moment all Ren could focus on was that she must be as red as a tomato. Then she noticed something that she thought was just her imagination.

'Is he…blushing?' she thought.

Sure enough Motochika Chosokabe was blushing, how had he ever thought that Ren was a boy? She most certainly was not.


End file.
